Drawer rail structure



Jan. 17, 1967 VOGT DRAWER RAIL STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March31, 1965 ATTORNEYS Jan 1967 J. B. VOGT v DRAWER RAIL STRUCTURE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1965 INVENTOR. JfiMlS 5. war

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiiice 3,298,768 Patented Jan. 17, 19673,298,768 DRAWER RAIL STRUCTURE James B. Vogt, Grand Rapids, Mich,assignor to Knape & Vogt Manufacturing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 444,315 Claims.(Cl. 312339) This invention relates to drawer rail assemblies, andparticularly to a drawer rail assembly capable of simple secureattachment to a cabinet and to the drawer, by the purchaser, while beingrelatively inexpensive to manufacture due to interchangeability of therail components be tween opposite sides of the drawer.

Frequently, relatively inexpensive drawer rail assembliesareadvantageous for wooden drawers and cabinets where complex, highlyprecise rail assemblies are not practical for economic reasons. Theserail assemblies should allow full drawer extension and enable smoothopening and closing action. However, inexpensive assemblies are known tohave certain definite disadvantages as presently manufactured.

One such disadvantage is the substantial side sway and instabilityoccurring at full extension. This causes a tendency of the rails to pullloose from their mounting after considerable drawer rail usage. Anotherdisadvantage is the difficulty of initially mounting these rails, andparticularly the positioning and alignment of the elements for mounting.Associated with this problem is the difficulty of assembling the railsprior to or subsequent to mounting to enable easy mounting, yet toeffect a secure assembly once mounted.

Another difficulty is the problem of inserting the intermediate railinto the cabinet rail after assembly and still being able to use asturdy, stable, stop assembly. The stop between the intermediate railand cabinet rail should be rigidly and fixedly attached, and should beinexpensive. This frequently requires these two rails to beinterconnected at the factory rather than enabling simple mounting ofthe cabinet rail by itself, followed by insertion of the intermediaterail.

Although the stop between the intermediate rail and the cabinet railshould be rigidly fixed, the stop between the drawer rail and theintermediate rail must be manually shiftable to allow removal of thedrawer with its attached drawer rails as necessary. On inexpensive railassemblies, this should also be a simple inexpensive structure, yeteffective and sturdy.

It is an object of this invention to provide a full extension drawerrail assembly capable of relatively inexpensive manufacture, withinterchangeability of rail component stock from one side of the drawerto the other, and preferably between the case rail and drawer rail.

Another object of this invention is to provide a full extension drawerrail assembly subject to simple, easy mounting and assembly by thepurchaser, with the intermediate rail being snapped into position in thecabinet rail after mounting of the cabinet rail by itself. Yet, theassembly has minimal side sway with excellent resulting stability andminimal tendency to pull loose from the mount-ing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drawer rail assemblywith a unique, effective, but inexpensive, releasable stop assemblybetween the intermediate rail and the drawer rail to allow drawerremoval, but without adding considerable expense to the assembly.

These and several other objects of this invention will become, apparentupon studying the following specification in conjunction with thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a drawer and cabinet utilizing two setsof the novel rail assemblies;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of one of the rail assemblies;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the out side face of theright drawer channel rail in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, front end elevational view of the rail in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the opposite rear end of the railin FIG. 3, or representing the front end of the drawer rail in the leftrail assembly in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a rear end elevational view of the right cabinet rail in FIG.1 and also representing the front end elevational view of the leftcabinet rail in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6A is a side elevational view of the inside face of the leftcabinet rail in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a front end elevational view of the right cabinet rail in FIG.1;

FIG. 8 is a front end elevational view of the right intermediate rail inFIG. 1, and also representing the rear end view of the left rail;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged elevational view of the outside face of the leftintermediate rail in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a front end elevational View of the left intermediate rail inFIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a sectional elevational view of the right drawer railassembly in FIG. 1 and FIG. 12 is a sectional elevational view of two ofthe rails in FIG. 11, showing the insertion and/or removal of theintermediate rail into operative engagement with the case rail.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the complete drawer assembly19 in FIG. 1 includes, in phantom, a case or cabinet 12, and a drawer14, the drawer being suspended in the cabinet by a right hand drawerrail assembly 16 and a left hand drawer rail assembly 16', on oppositesides of the drawer.

Rail assembly 16 includes a case rail 18, an intermediate rail 20, and adrawer rail 22. Case rail 18 is mounted to the inside face of thecabinet or case by suitable screws utilizing the screw holes 19 (FIG.6A) on opposite ends. Drawer rail 22 is mounted to the drawer bysuitable screws through holes 21 (FIG. 3) in the same fashion.

It will be realized that the opposite rail assembly 16' includescorresponding rai-l elements, namely case rail 18, intermediate rail20', and the drawer rail 22. In

fact, throughout this specification, reference will be made to one orthe other rail assemblies, depending upon which one best shows in thedrawings the particular feature discussed. It should be realized,therefore, that the particular feature cited for one assembly will alsobe found in the other assembly in duplicate fashion. They are mounted inmirror image of each other. As will be explained hereinafter, each isalso interchangeable with the corresponding rail element on the otherside of the drawer due to their particular structural configuration andassembly.

Actually, the drawer channel rails are essentially the same as the casechannel rails, both having identical crosssectional configurations. Morespecifically, referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the drawer channel 22 shownis essentially a channel-shaped or C-shaped element in crosssectionalconfiguration. Mounted intermediate its ends, to the top thereof, is arigid, upwardly projecting stop pin 23. The channel in FIG. 4 is thesame in cross-sectional configuration as channel 22 shown in FIG. 5 withits stop 23. Each is of elongated nature, having a back surface, e.g. 25(of rail 22) for mounting to the drawer, and an elongated slot opening27 on the opposite side leading into the elongated wheel receiving trackspace 29. This track space extends between the underside 35 of the topportion or leg, and the horizontal lower track surface 31. The lower legof the element forming this lower track surface extends horizontally andterminates in its horizontal plane without an upwardly projectingflange. Projecting downwardly from the outer edge of the top of thechannel is a vertical flange 33 for retaining roller wheels of theintermediate rail within the channel.

Reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 will show that the construction of the casechannel elements 18 and 18' have essentially the same cross-sectionalconfiguration as the drawer channels. Each has an inner roller trackspace (32 and 32') and lower track surfaces (34 and 34). Each also has adownwardly projecting front end stop (30 and 30) and a rear end stop (31and 31') deformed into the upper horizontal leg.

It will be seen that the drawer rail channel and case rail channelelements are of the same rolled stock so as to be useful for eitherside, or with slight modification, useful as drawer channels or casechannels.

The intermediate rail construction is the same for both intermediaterails 20 and 20, except for stop assemblies 40 and iii. If rail 2% (inassembly 16) were to be inserted in assembly 16, the stop would have tobe moved from one end to the other. Otherwise, the constructions areidentically alike. Each of these intermediate rails 20 or 20' isbasically a double L-shaped element (i.e. Z- shaped) in cross-sectionalconfiguration, each having a pair of spaced lower rollers 42 and 44' inthe middle and the front of the rail, and a pair of upper rollers 46'and 48' in the middle and rear of the rail. In other words, theelement-has a cross section shaped like a Z with each of its connectedlegs generally normal to the adjacent leg. These vertical wheel typerollers are rotatably mounted to the intermediate rail member onopposite side of central horizontal cross leg 50. They are attached tovertical legs 52 and 54 or 52' and 54' of the intermediate rails. Thesewheel type rollers are positioned inwardly from the rail legs, and theirperipheries project above or below the intermediate rail to be receivedby the respective case channels and drawer channels on opposite sides ofthe drawer.

The cross leg 50' for example, of rail 20', also mounts the stop leversubassembly 4b which cooperates with the pin 23 on the drawer channel.This lever is mounted in its central portion to the cross leg 55 by aheaded rivet 60'. This rivet extends down through the central portion ofstop lever 62' with suflicient clearance to allow the lever to beshifted slightly on the rivet, and extends down through cross leg 50' ofthe intermediate rail where it is deformed to be secured. Intermediatethe upper surface of lever 62 and the head of the rivet is a resilient,polymeric, compressible annular Washer 64'. This compressible polymericelement can be rubber, plastic or other polymeric material. The leverhas a front elevated end portion 68 which is manually depressible. Ithas a front end abutment portion 70' which projects down through anopening in leg 50 to abut stop pin 23 (shown in phantom in FIG. 9 forpurposes of illustration). Depression of end 68 on the lever causespiovtal shifting thereof on the rivet by compression of one side of theannular washer 64 to elevate end 70 out of engagement with stop pin 23for release of the drawer rail from the intermediate rail. With releaseof the lever, the resilient washer biases the lever back into itsinitial position because of its inherent characteristics.

When the three components of each drawer rail assembly are to beassembled like the assembly 16 shown in FIG. 11, the upper rollers 46and 48 mounted to the upper end of the intermediate rail fit within thecase rail channel 18 while the lower rollers 42. and t4 fit within thedrawer channel element 22. Insertion of rollers 42 and 44 into thedrawer channel is achieved merely by inserting the rollers into the endof the drawer channel and pushing the rails together so that the stops23 and 23' push the tapered ends 70 and '76 of the stop levers up out ofthe path to thereby interengage them.

Assembly of the intermediate rail to the case rail is rather uniquelydone. Referring to FIG. 12, the intermediate rail 20 is tilted, i.e.rotated an acute angle on its elongated axis, with its top edge towardcase channel 18,

to insert the upper edge rollers 46 and 4-8 beneath the downwardlyprojecting roller retention flange of the channel. It then is pushedback to its vertical upright position illustrated in FIG. 11 to slidethe bottom edge of the rollers over the track surface on the bottom ofthe case channel. This actually normally snaps the rollers into positionbecause the diagonal distance across such roller is slightly larger thanthe track space height. Once in position, the rollers will not fall outsince the drawer and drawer rails mounted as shown in FIG. 12 preventthe unit from tilting back again (until the drawer is removed), and theupper retention flanges on the channels prevent the rollers from tiltingout the opposite direction or sliding sideways. These flanges alsoprevent any significant side sway because the Wheel type rollers areallowed only limited lateral movement.

Removal of these intermediate r-ails from operative engagement with thecase rail is by an opposite move ment, i.e. tilting the intermediaterails back out through the position illustrated in FIG. 12 and thenretracting the rollers out of the elongated slot opening. It Will berealized that by utilizing the retention flange on this receivingopening of the case channel, the insertion opening height is less thanthe diameter of the rollers fitted therein, while the wheel receivingspace in the channels is greater in height than the wheel diameter.Also, to enable insertion and removal, the distance from the lower edgeof the opening to the top (35) of the wheel receiving space in thechannel is greater than the wheel diameter to receive it, while thedistance from the lower portion of the wheel receiving space to the topof the receiving opening, specifically the depending flange, is lessthan the wheel diameter to prevent it from falling out again.

Manufacture of the assembly is relatively inexpensively done since allof the components can be roll formed with just two different basicconfigurations, that of the channel and that of the double L-shapedintermediate rails. Further, the case rails and drawer rails aresubstantially the same except for the stop elements applied thereto. Theintermediate rails are the same, except the stop levers are mounted inmirror image with respect to each other. They can thus be usedinterchangeably and manufactured relatively inexpensively.

With assembly of the units by the purchaser, case channels 18 and 18'can be mounted by screws to the cabinet with the other components.Drawer channels 22 and 22 are screwed in place to the drawers. Then, theintermediate rails are inserted into the case channels in the mannerillustrated in FIG. 12 by tilting them and snapping them into position,laterally, with the wheels between stops 3d and 31 which retain theupper roller wheels in the cabinet channel track. The drawer is theninserted by interengaging the drawer channels with the intermediaterails by temporary shifting of the stop levers. The unit i then completefor use.

Additional advantages than those noted may be apparent to those in theart upon studying the description of this invention. Also, it isconceivable that minor details of the construction may be modifiedwithin the concept presented. Hence, the invention is intended to belimited only by the scope of the appended claims, and the reasonablyequivalent structures to those defined therein.

I claim:

1. A drawer rail assembly including a drawer rail, a case rail, and anintermediate rail; said case rail and drawer rail both being open sidedchannel elements having an inner track space, and having wheel retentionflange means at the open sides defining an elongated receiving openingat said open sides; said intermediate rail element being shaped in crosssection like a Z on its side having each of its connected legs generallynormal to the adjacent leg, and having a plurality of vertical wheeltype rollers rotatably mounted thereto on opposite sides of the crossmember of said intermediate element to comprise upper rollers and lowerrollers; fixed stop means between said case rail and said intermediaterail to limit relative extension therebetween; the height of said caserail track space being greater than the diameter of said wheels, and theheight of said opening being less than the diameter of said wheels; thevertical height between the top of said track space and the bottom edgeof said opening being greater than the wheel diameter, and the verticaldistance from the bottom of said track space to the top of said openingbeing less than the wheel diameter; whereby said upper rollers areinsertable laterally into said case rail by tilting the top edge of saidintermediate rail toward said case rail to insert said upper rollers,and then tipping said intermediate rail back to the vertical position toinsert the entire upper rollers.

2. A drawer rail assembly including a drawer rail, a case rail, and ,anintermediate rail; said case rail and drawer rail both being C shapedchannel elements in cross section, with its legs generally normal toeach other, and having a depending, upper wheel retention flangeextending downwardly from the upper outer edge thereof, and a bottomtrack surface extending only horizontally and terminating in thehorizontal plane of the surface; said intermediate rail element beingshaped in cross section like a Z on its side having each of itsconnected legs generally normal to the adjacent leg, and having aplurality of vertical wheel type rollers rotatably mounted thereto onopposite sides of the cross leg of said intermediate element to compriseupper rollers and lower rollers; said wheel rollers having a diameterless than the height of the inside of said case rail and greater thanthe distance from said flange to said bottom surface; a rigid stop meansbetween said intermediate and case rails to limit intermediate railextension; said upper rollers being insertable laterally into said caserail by tilting the top edge of said intermediate rail toward said caserail to insert said upper rollers behind said case rail flange, and thentipping said intermediate rail back to the vertical position to pushsaid upper rollers across said bottom track surface for interengagementof said intermediate rail and said case rail; said intermediate railhaving a stop lever, and said drawer rail having a projecting stop inalignment with said lever to normally abut it; a headed rivet extendingthrough said lever with clearance and through said intermediate rail toconnect them, and a compressible resilient polymeric washer around saidrivet, between its head and said lever, to enable temporary leverdepression by shifting on said rivet for release from said stop.

3. An assembly for a drawer, including two sets of rails, each havingdrawer rail, a case rail, and an intermediate rail; s-aid case rail anddrawer rail both being C shaped channel elements in cross section, withits legs generally normal to each other, and having a depending, upperwheel retention flange extending downwardly from the upper outer edgethereof, and a bottom track surface; said intermediate rail elementbeing shaped in cross section like a Z on its side having each of itsconnected legs generally normal to the adjacent leg, and having aplurality of vertical wheel type rollers rotatably mounted thereto onopposite sides of the cross member of said intermediate element tocomprise upper rollers and lower rollers; said drawer and case railsbeing interchangeable from one set to the other; and said intermediaterails being interchangeable between sets by rotating each around itslongitudinal dimension and rotating it end for end, laterally, 180.

4. A drawer rail assembly including channel shaped drawer and case railsand an intermediate rail shaped in cross section like -a Z on its sidewith its legs generally normal to each other; rollers between saidrails; said intermediate rail having a stop lever attached to the crossleg of said intermediate rail, with one end elevated, to form a manuallydepressible portion, and the other end projecting through said crossleg; and said drawer rail having a projecting stop in alignment with theother end of said lever to normally abut it and limit rail extension; aheaded rivet extending through the center of said lever with substantialclearance, and through the cross leg of said intermediate rail tointerconnect them; and a compressible resilient polymeric washer aroundsaid rivet, between its head and said lever, to enable temporary levershifting by depression of said one end to lift said other end out ofabutment with said stop, to allow longitudinal separation of said drawerrail and intermediate rail.

5. A drawer rail assembly including a drawer rail, a case rail, and anintermediate rail; said intermediate rail having a stop lever, and saiddrawer rail having a projecting stop in alignment with said lever tonormally abut it; a headed rivet extending through said lever and saidintermediate rail to connect them, and .a compressible resilientpolymeric washer around said rivet, between its head and said lever, toenable temporary lever depression by pivoting on said rivet for releasefrom said stop.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,687,924 8/1954Gomersall 3 12-3 39 X 3,031,249 4/1962 Koch 312-339 FOREIGN PATENTS695,159 9/ 1930 France.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DRAWER RAIL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A DRAWER RAIL, A CASE RAIL, AND ANINTERMEDIATE RAIL; SAID CASE RAIL AND DRAWER RAIL BOTH BEING OPEN SIDEDCHANNEL ELEMENTS HAVING AN INNER TRACK SPACE, AND HAVING WHEEL RETENTIONFLANGE MEANS AT THE OPEN SIDES DEFINING AN ELONGATED RECEIVING OPENINGAT SAID OPEN SIDES; SAID INTERMEDIATE RAIL ELEMENT BEING SHAPED IN CROSSSECTION LIKE A Z ON ITS SIDE HAVING EACH OF ITS CONNECTED LEGS GENERALLYNORMAL TO THE ADJACENT LEG, AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL WHEELTYPE ROLLERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED THERETO ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CROSSMEMBER OF SAID INTERMEDIATE ELEMENT TO COMPRISE UPPER ROLLERS AND LOWERROLLERS; FIXED STOP MEANS BETWEEN SAID CASE RAIL AND SAID INTERMEDIATERAIL TO LIMIT RELATIVE EXTENSION THEREBETWEEN; THE HEIGHT OF SAID CASERAIL TRACK SPACE BEING GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID WHEELS, AND THEHEIGHT OF SAID OPENING BEING LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID WHEELS; THEVERTICAL HEIGHT BETWEEN THE TOP OF SAID TRACK SPACE AND THE BOTTOM EDGEOF SAID OPENING BEING GREATER THAN THE WHEEL DIAMETER, AND THE VERTICALDISTANCE FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID TRACK SPACE TO THE TOP OF SAID OPENINGBEING LESS THAN THE WHEEL DIAMETER; WHEREBY SAID UPPER ROLLERS AREINSERTABLE LATERALLY INTO SAID CASE RAIL BY TILTING THE TOP EDGE OF SAIDINTERMEDIATE RAIL TOWARD SAID CASE RAIL TO INSERT SAID UPPER ROLLERS,AND THEN TIPPING SAID INTERMEDIATE RAIL BACK TO THE VERTICAL POSITION TOINSERT THE ENTIRE UPPER ROLLERS.